Email

The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, during a suo moto hearing on the matter of private medical colleges' exorbitant fees, sought an explanation from Pakistan Medical and Dental Council's (PMDC) former vice-president, Dr Asim Hussain, on why he devised policies that benefited private medical colleges.

A three-member SC bench, led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, directed Hussain to appear before the court on January 10.

PMDC counsel Akram Sheikh sided with the SC on the matter, claiming: "Private medical colleges are holding medical education hostage, and this is a result of Dr Asim Hussain's policies."

The chief justice also noted that malpractices at private medical colleges have eroded the value of Pakistani degrees at international level.

"We don't get respect at international universities because our degrees have lost their value," Chief Justice Nisar said, adding, "These last four days, we've been contemplating declaring illegal all the admissions by private medical colleges."

The apex court said that it wanted to know how many private medical colleges were founded in accordance with the law.

The bench also clarified that the case didn't just concern institutions in Punjab but has a nationwide applicability.

"Our [court's] aim is rectification," said the chief justice. "Anyone's child could die due to a lack of facilities; we don't want any child to lose their life."

The court issued a notice to the PMDC, adjourning the hearing until Tuesday.

The apex court, under its 2018 agenda, is focusing on human rights issues, particularly those relating to the people’s right to quality education and healthcare.

On DawnNews

Comments (18) Closed

Akeel Ahmed

Jan 08, 2018 03:28pm

kudos to CJP, please sir also launch a clamp down against private educational institutions.

Recommend0

Anti-Corruption_Pakistan

Jan 08, 2018 03:36pm

Yes, I agree the private teaching institutions have degraded our education system and medical, engineering, MBA and other degrees - and this is why our graduates are not accepted in the world and struggle to get decent jobs. In order to be competent and recognised, we have to raise our education standards and get rid of inferior and money making institutions that are opened across the big cities. There is no other way to compete with world and be recognised.

Recommend0

Dr Ahmed

Jan 08, 2018 03:49pm

Money and greed for it explains it all.

Recommend0

rajab

Jan 08, 2018 03:54pm

Hats off to SC

Recommend0

khurram

Jan 08, 2018 03:56pm

Whilst its good to see that the penny has dropped, but they need to be wary of any knee jerk reaction like declaring all private college admissions as illegal, which would destroy careers of so many aspiring doctors who were at no fault!

Recommend0

Tahir

Jan 08, 2018 04:12pm

We took our medical eduction system from UK where there is no private medical college. These colleges should be barred from admissions after this year, let the public colleges upgraded with incentives to the staff for better education

Recommend0

excalibur

Jan 08, 2018 04:17pm

CJ needs to be applauded. Had it not been a suo moto action the mafia of private medical colleges and the PM&DC would continue unchecked

Recommend0

Salim Khan

Jan 08, 2018 04:47pm

Thanks to the SC of Pakistan for taking care of the country' education. Various governments have failed in this regard. It is not just the medical education is in shambles but the higher education has lost its credibility as well. The politicians have no interest in either education or health sectors. Another area which needs special attention is the sewer system of the cities. The system has eroded and is a total chaos. We need a respite from the current political set up for just one reason and that is to save our country Pakistan.

Recommend0

Ejaz baig

Jan 08, 2018 06:06pm

Excellent step taken by SC. This is voice of every common citizen.

Recommend0

Masood Khan

Jan 08, 2018 06:12pm

Once Dr. Asim Hussain was pushing PMDC to permit evening classes in private medical colleges; only to double the investors revenue!

Recommend0

Vikas

Jan 08, 2018 06:28pm

eroded the value? When was there any value?

Recommend0

M. Siddique

Jan 08, 2018 06:53pm

Value of Government Medical Colleges have depleted very much as well. That is why government is cracking down on private colleges to maintain the monopoly on poor education. Graduating doctors barely know basics of medicine. It is time to move from Bachelor of Medicine to Doctor Medicine degrees. But first, the education standards be regained.

Recommend0

abdullah khuhro

Jan 08, 2018 07:02pm

Right move to curb the menace at private medical colleges but public sector colleges are no different. they also indulge in exorbitant fees structure based on so called self Finance scheme .It is also eroding the value of degree.

Recommend0

UnshacklePak

Jan 08, 2018 07:52pm

LUMS is private. MIT is private too. SKMT is private and so is Edhi Foundation. Private doesn't mean everything is perfect. It simply means the state is not the owner. Usually those private organizations that survive do so by offering something of value. The bad ones get found out. The state with it's rules about who can be a doctor are causing the distortions in market.

Recommend0

drpattal

Jan 08, 2018 08:36pm

Nice initiative when government is thinking to privatise already present government hospitals.

Recommend0

hkhan

Jan 08, 2018 09:43pm

our country has become such a naïve place on earth where due to greed for money/corruption everything has been put on sale . Here anyone who has money can become doctor. In a civilized country there is very strict uniform exam and whoever fails in that exam can not become a doctor. Its a shame for the rulers so called parliament and all of us, the public who has become like sheep and we then ruled be wolves

Recommend0

Riaz Uddin

Jan 09, 2018 09:37am

Pakistany degrees enjoy zero equivalency especially in North America. Educated people certified by Universities and HEC of Pakistan fail to stand with North American educational standatd due to commercialization of education at private entrepreneur.
The Govt and its functionaries are set to making money by hook or crook. All this demands a drastic change in system by pursuing a policy of eradicating of all money makers from higher eduaction and training especially in Medical and Civil.discipline.

Recommend0

Dr. Khan

Jan 11, 2018 04:35pm

As this discussion is about the people rights for education and health. I feel that this is a worthy action against the culprit institutions. Besides, I would like to mention that the honorable CJP must also take action against the doctors, they hold fake degrees. They opened their hospitals and making the common people fool. Even their laboratories for medical tests have no qualified technicians.
Therefore, it is a request to the higher authorities that they should take strict action against such fake doctors and make our country clean and competitive with the surrounding world. We want to see our country strong and morally beautiful.
Pakistan Zindabad Pakistan Paindabad